Geneva College

Beaver Falls, PA

Lesson Plan Template

Name: Sari Knouse Date: 10/03/21

Subject: English Grade Level: 9th grade

I. Topic- To introduce Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson by having students discuss their own
opinions on high school experiences and situations and then reviewing the plot of the story with
them. They will also learn about the strong presence of literary devices in the novel and the
definitions of those literary devices.

II. PA or Common Core Standards

 CC.1.2.9-10.J- Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
 CC.1.2.9-10.K- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies
and tools.

 CC.1.5.9–10.A- Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on

grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
and persuasively.

III. Learning Objectives: Objectives must be written using observable verbs

 TSWBAT debate and defend their opinions.
 TSWBAT show what prior knowledge they have on literary devices.
 TSWBAT understand the literary devices they did not know prior to class.
 TSWBAT give examples of literary devices.

IV. Materials
 Provide students with copies of Speak
 List of the questions for a four-corner debate Appendix A
 List of literary devices for students to write down the definitions and examples on Appendix B

V. Lesson Development
A. Introduction
 Explain to students how a four-corner debate works.
  Ask them questions regarding high school experiences and have them get up from
their seats and move to the corner that represents their opinion.

B. Lesson development (activities, procedures)

 After having students debate their own thoughts and feelings on high school,
introduce the novel and main character, Melinda.
o Discuss her high school experience without giving too much away.
o What should students be on the lookout for? (this is where literary devices
should be introduced.
 Ask students what some literary devices are.
o Allow some responses before continuing with the assignment.
 Hand out the list of literary devices.
 Tell students to define and give one example of as many as they can in 10 minutes
(the ones they know).
 After the 10 minutes of solo work, help them fill in the remainder of the list.
o You should ask students first if they can define and provide an example of
each literary device.
o If no one has the answer, then you can help them by giving them the
definition, but a student should still give an example to ensure they are
learning.

C. Evidence of differentiated instruction (content, process, product, or learning

environment)
 Giving students the option to listen to an audiobook or read a digital copy instead of
reading the physical book

D. Closure (summary)
 Close the lesson by assigning them which chapters to read.
 Ask them to come to the class prepared to share one literary device they found
while reading.

VI. Assessment/evaluation
 Teacher’s observation of how well students already knew the literary devices and if they were
able to comprehend the ones that were just being introduced to them.

VII. Modifications or accommodations

 Giving the students who struggle a list of the literary devices with a definition already on them—
they will only need to provide an example.

VIII. Self-evaluation
  I should consider the fact that 9th graders may not know how to “annotate” in order to find the
literary devices for the next lesson.

Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA

Lesson Plan Template

Name: Sari Knouse Date: 10/11/2021

Subject: English Grade Level: 9th grade

IX. Topic- To have students write an end-of-unit paper on Speak

X. PA or Common Core Standards

 CC.1.4.9-10.F- Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

 CC.1.4.9–10.C- Develop and analyze the topic with relevant, well-chosen, and sufficient facts,
extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples
appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic; include graphics and multimedia when
useful to aiding comprehension.
 CC.1.4.9–10.B- Write with a sharp, distinct focus identifying topic, task, and audience.
 CC.1.4.9–10.G- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics.
 CC.1.4.9–10.T- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific
purpose and audience.

XI. Learning Objectives: Objectives must be written using observable verbs

 TSWBAT create claims and defend those claims using text evidence.
 TSWBAT apply proper grammar.
 TSWBAT compose strong and well-structured papers.
 TSWBAT express their own interpretation of the text.

XII. Materials
 PowerPoint on CSA Appendix C
 Piece of scratch paper for CSA practice
 Handout for final paper Appendix D

XIII. Lesson Development

 A. Introduction
 Begin the lesson with a brief presentation on Claim Support Analysis.
 Have students practice this by giving them a quick writing assignment (approx. 3
sentences). They must make a claim about what the tree image symbolizes for
Melinda, what quote from the text supports this, and an analysis of this quote
that contributes to the original claim.
 Walk around to ensure every student is understanding this concept and has no
questions.
 If there is time, allow some students to share their work with the class.

B. Lesson development (activities, procedures)

 Give a handout to students that includes the prompts, guidelines, and rubric.
 Go through each prompt and give possible suggestions to help get ideas flowing.
 The prompts the students may choose from are:
o Identity is an issue for characters like Melinda, Heather, and Rachel.
Analyze this struggle these characters face and how it impacts them.
Are there negative impacts? Positive? What does this say about the
pressures of high school?
o How does sexual abuse affect Melinda’s relationships with her parents
and peers as well as her performance in school?
o Discuss how Melinda comes to understand the importance of speaking
out and standing up for herself. How does this realization impact her
emotional and mental growth?

C. Evidence of differentiated instruction (content, process, product, or learning

environment)
 There will be multiple prompts for students to choose from.

D. Closure (summary)
 Students will have the remainder of the period to start brainstorming ideas and ask
any questions

XIV. Assessment/evaluation
 Students will be evaluated with a rubric. The points given to them will be based on proper
grammar, the structure and organization of the paper, their ability to support their claims, their
ability to analyze the text, correct MLA format, and if it meets page requirements.

XV. Modifications or accommodations

 For the CSA practice, I will give students with a learning disability a quote from the novel that
they can make a claim and analysis about that relates to Melinda and the tree imagery.
 XVI. Self-evaluation
 I do not know if students will be able to write a whole paper with those prompts. It should be a
rather short paper, though, so students should not really have an issue meeting page
requirement.

Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA

Lesson Plan Template

Name: Sari Knouse Date: 11/22/2021

Subject: English Grade Level: 9th grade

I. Topic- Writing their own version of the poem “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons.

II.PA or Common Core Standards

 CC.1.4.9–10.M- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.

 CC.1.4.9–10.O- Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, reflection, multiple

plotlines, and pacing to develop experiences, events, and/or characters; use precise words and
phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences,
events, settings, and/or characters.

III. Learning Objectives: Objectives must be written using observable verbs

 TSWBAT illustrate certain areas of their life through poetry.
 TSWBAT compose a poem by following the guidelines.

IV. Materials
 Copies of “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons Appendix E
 Copies of “Where I’m From” template with rubric attached Appendix F

V. Lesson Development
A. Introduction
 Ask the students to talk about their heritage if they know.
 Ask the students to talk about their favorite childhood memories or experiences.
 Have a brief discussion on whether or not the students believe their childhood
experiences impacted their lives today.
 Hand out copies of “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons.

B. Lesson development (activities, procedures)

  Read the poem aloud to the students.
 Ask the students what they think of the poem, what they think it means, if anything
stuck out to them, and if they have any questions.
 Discuss the importance of identity this poem introduces.
o Why is identity so important?
o What does having an identity mean for us?
 Begin talking about characters like Melinda, Heather, and Rachel who struggle with
their identity over the course of the novel.
o How does their lack of identity affect them?
 Tell them that they will be writing their own “Where I’m From” poem.
o Explain to them that they do not have to write about where they are from
literally. They can talk about where they are from metaphorically. If they do
not feel comfortable writing about their own life, they can chose to write
about it from the voice of their favorite character in a novel or movie, their
favorite singer, or even Melinda from Speak.
 Hand out copies of the “Where I’m From” template with an attached rubric.
 Explain to them that the template tells them exactly how to write the poem.
o It tells them how they should complete each line to make the whole poem.

C. Evidence of differentiated instruction (content, process, product, or learning

environment)
 Each student will be writing about something different because they all come from
different backgrounds.

D. Closure (summary)
 Students will be given the remainder of the period to work on the poem.
 Walk around the classroom and assist the students with crafting their poem and
brainstorming ideas.

VI. Assessment/evaluation
 Students will be assessed on the completion and creativity of their poem.

VII. Modifications or accommodations

 Lower the number of lines a student is required to write.
 Highlight certain words and phrases in “Where I’m From” so that the student can better
understand what the meaning of the poem is.

VIII. Self-evaluation
 I am wondering if this may be a difficult poem to complete for students who may have not had a
good home life or have very different circumstances surrounding their home life. How could I
change up this assignment to ensure that everyone can complete it.
 Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA

Lesson Plan Template

Name: Sari Knouse Date: 11/29/2021

Subject: English Grade Level: 9th grade

I. Topic: Introduce a presentation assignment that will allow students to speak on something they
feel strongly about

II. PA or Common Core Standards:

 CC.1.5.7.D- Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent
manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact,
adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
 CC.1.5.7.G- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based
on Grade 7 level and content.

III. Learning Objectives: Objectives must be written using observable verbs

 TSWBAT describe a movement to the class that they feel very strongly about.
 TSWBAT create a presentation about the movement.
 TSWBAT defend their movement and why it is important to them.

IV. Materials
 Handout that includes the guidelines and rubric for their presentation Appendix G

V. Lesson Development
A. Introduction
 Have an open discussion on Melinda and her ability to finally be able to speak.
o What did she have to say?
o How did she get to that point?
o Was she supported?
o What changed after she spoke up?
B. Lesson development (activities, procedures)
 Introduce the assignment.
o Go through the expectations, guidelines, and rubric.
o Ask if there are any questions on the presentation.
 C. Evidence of differentiated instruction (content, process, product, or learning
environment)
 Most students are going to chose different movements, so everyone’s content and product is
going to be different.
 Students have a choice if they would like to use notecards, notebook paper, memory, or
nothing when giving their presentation.
D. Closure (summary)
 Have students begin brainstorming/doing research.
o Do they already have a movement in mind?
o Do they have several movements that they feel strongly about that they need to
think about which one is the most important to them?
o Do they have no idea what movement they believe in and need to do some research?

VI. Assessment/evaluation
 The students will be evaluated on the completion of the presentation and if it follows the
rubric given to them (refer to Appendix G)

VII. Modifications or accommodations

 For a student that may have a disability that would prohibit them from getting up and being
in front of the classroom for the entire presentation, I will not make them do slide 4 which
discusses where the movement is at today (that is not the main focus of this assignment).

VIII. Self-evaluation
 I actually really love this lesson and would not change anything about it. It goes along with
the point of the novel and is a great way to get students talking in the classroom. The only
thing I struggled with was coming up with modifications or accommodations.

Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA

Lesson Plan Template

Name: Sari Knouse Date: 12/6/21

Subject: English Grade Level: 9th grade

I. Topic: Mental Health in schools

II. PA or Common Core Standards

 CC.1.4.11–12.H- Write with a sharp, distinct focus identifying topic, task, and audience.
  CC.1.4.11–12.I- Distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims; develop claim(s)
and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s
knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
III. Learning Objectives: Objectives must be written using observable verbs
 TSWBAT compose a paper arguing their opinion on mental health in schools and in Melinda’s
school.
 TSWBAT identify reasons why their claim is true.
 TSWBAT support their argument with evidence.

IV. Materials
 Handout with article on mental health in schools https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-
change/new-from-nea/are-schools-ready-tackle-mental-health-crisis Appendix H
 Prompt for a short informal argumentative paper on mental health in schools Appendix I

V. Lesson Development
a. Introduction
 Ask students to raise their hand if they know someone who has or is currently
struggling with mental health.
 Ask students to raise their hand if they know someone in high school who has or is
currently struggling with mental health
 Have a brief discussion on mental health in schools.
o Are they prepared to handle this issue?
o Were they prepare to handle it in Melinda’s school?

b. Lesson development (activities, procedures)

 Give handout to each student.
 Read the article together by going around the room and taking turns
 After reading the article, discuss it.
o What did you think about the article?
o Does our school know how to tackle mental health issues?
o How could Melinda’s school do better?
 Direct them to the prompt on the front of the page.
 Explain to them what is expected.
o They will be writing an informal argumentative paper on mental health in
schools.
o They must discuss whether or not their school is prepared to help those
with mental health issues. They must give reasons as to why or why not.
o They also give their opinion on how Melinda’s school could’ve done better
dealing with mental health issues.
 c. Evidence of differentiated instruction (content, process, product, or learning
environment)
 We will be reading it together aloud, so students who cannot read as well will not
struggle.
 Most students will have a different argument and reasons, so the product will be
different.

d. Closure (summary)
 The students will work on the paper until the end of the period.
 It will be homework and will be due two days after it is assigned.

VI. Assessment/evaluation
 Students will be evaluated based on completion of the assignment and how well they are
able to argue their opinion and give valid reasons.

VII. Modifications or accommodations

 For students with weak writing skills, I will only require them to write about the first part of
the prompt.

VIII. Self-evaluation
Is this too big of a topic for 9th graders? It might be, but kids are also being introduced to mental health
struggles younger and younger because of the world we live in. I had students in my 7 th grade class who
dealt with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, so is 9 th grade really too young to be discussing
these things?
Appendix A

Questions for Four-Corner Debate

 You felt prepared for high school

 The guidance counselors are prepared to handle any situation students may encounter.

 The school does a lot to help stop bullying.

 Mental health is a big issue today.

 Students nowadays go through more hardships than students back in the day

 Friendships are hard to keep in school.

 Your teachers offer support when you are in need.

 High school will be the best four years of your life.

Appendix B

Literary Devices Worksheet

Please give the definition and one example of each of these literary devices:

Imagery-

Symbolism-

Metaphor-

Personification-

Hyperbole-

Conflict-
Appendix C

Link to Canva PowerPoint on CSA

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEwZVaUF3E/XVVEfxJEUjNaIHKAAx3Qrw/view?

utm_content=DAEwZVaUF3E&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=

publishsharelink
Appendix D

Speak Final Essay Prompts

For your final essay, you may choose one of the following three prompts given. Your paper must

be a minimum of 1 ½ pages and follow MLA format (12 pt. font, Times New Roman, double

spaced, page numbers, heading, and work cited page). I expect examples from the text to be

included in your paper (hint: recall Claim-Support-Analysis) and accurately cited with in-text

citations.

 Identity is an issue for characters like Melinda, Heather, and Rachel. Analyze this

struggle these characters face and how it impacts them. Are there negative impacts?

Positive? What does this say about the pressures of high school?

 How does sexual abuse affect Melinda’s relationships with her parents and peers as

well as her performance in school?

 Discuss how Melinda comes to understand the importance of speaking out and

standing up for herself. How does this realization impact her emotional and mental

growth?

Rubric: /30

Points Description Score

5 Completion: The minimum page requirement was met.

Content: The essay answers one of the prompts given and has valid
5
points being made.
Support: Evidence was used from the text to support the claim being
5
made.
5 Organization: The paper was organized and easy to follow.

Proper Grammar and MLA Format: Proper grammar was used,

5
and the paper followed the MLA guidelines in place.
Appendix E

Where I’m From

By George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins, 
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride. 
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening, 
it tasted like beets.) 
I am from the forsythia bush
the Dutch elm
whose long-gone limbs I remember
as if they were my own. 

I'm from fudge and eyeglasses, 

          from Imogene and Alafair. 
I'm from the know-it-alls
          and the pass-it-ons, 
from Perk up! and Pipe down! 
I'm from He restoreth my soul
          with a cottonball lamb
          and ten verses I can say myself. 

I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch, 

fried corn and strong coffee. 
From the finger my grandfather lost 
          to the auger, 
the eye my father shut to keep his sight. 

Under my bed was a dress box

spilling old pictures, 
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams. 
I am from those moments--
snapped before I budded --
leaf-fall from the family tree.
Appendix F **Note: this is just for students to refer to. They will be typing or writing this out
elsewhere. This image was taken from
https://www.sps186.org/downloads/attachments/44633/Where%20I%20am%20From.pdf
Appendix G

Now It’s Time for You to SPEAK

Over the course of the novel, we see Melinda slowly gain her voice back and learn how to stand

up for what is right. Now it is your turn to speak out and stand up for what is right. For this

assignment, you will pick an issue or movement that you feel very strongly about. You will then

present this issue/movement to the class to inform them of it and why it is important to you.

You must create some sort of slideshow (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, etc.) to go along with

your presentation.

What your slideshow should consist of:

1. Title page

2. What is your issue or movement?

3. History of your issue or movement (you may have more than one slide on the history in order to

cover it all)

4. Where is your issue or movement at today? Is it growing? Weakening? More popular? Less

popular? Etc.

5. Why it is important to you?

***This is NOT a debate. Whatever issue or movement you would like to share with the class

will not be challenged or attacked, so please do not worry about what other people think about

your topic. I ask that everyone respects each other and their opinions. Any and all negative

comments will not be tolerated.

Issue/Movement Presentation Rubric Score: /20
Above Average Average Below Average Score
Content The presentation had The presentation had The presentation
great and accurate decent and somewhat lacked severely or had
content. It provided the accurate content. It no content at all. (0-1)
audience with plenty of provided the audience
new and insightful with fairly acceptable
information. (4-5) information. (2-3)
Style The speaker was calm The speaker had minor The speaker struggled
and comfortable in front discomfort while significantly while
of the audience. They presenting. They were presenting. They were
were very prepared and fairly prepared and not prepared and had
confident in their topic seemed to have some little to no confidence
and information. (4-5) confidence in their topic in their topic and
and information. (2-3) information. (0-1)
Organization The presentation was The presentation was The presentation was
very organized and somewhat organized unorganized and did
flowed nicely. (4-5) with minor disruptions not flow well. (0-1)
in the flow of it. (2-3)
Slideshow Maximum effort was put Basic effort was put into There was no effort
into the creation of the the creation of the put into the creation
slideshow. All necessary slideshow. Most of the of the slideshow, or
and required items were necessary and required there was no
included in the items were included in slideshow at all.
slideshow. (4-5) the slideshow. (2-3) There was a
significant amount of
the necessary and
required items not
included in the
slideshow. (0-1)

Feedback:
Appendix H

Article from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/are-schools-ready-

tackle-mental-health-crisis

For Melodie Henderson, it was one of those “Tag, you’re it!” moments.

“When you’re an educator, often it’s just you and a student at a particular,
challenging time in the classroom and you have to step into their world,” says
Henderson, a special education teacher at Manchester High School in Chesterfield
County, Va.

That’s what happened a few years ago, in the middle of Henderson’s grammar
instruction. A student got out of his seat without warning, walked toward the
window, and began to sob uncontrollably. Henderson approached the student, who
quietly told her that the previous night he had made a deal with the devil, but
wished he hadn’t.

“I made a mistake. Give me my soul back!” he shouted. “I don’t need to go!”

Henderson promised him that the school and the school’s staff would keep him
safe. Seemingly reassured, he quietly returned to his seat.

This wasn’t the first time Henderson had handled a situation with a student whose
behavior demonstratrated a mental health concern. But this particular incident
made her realize that the patchwork of resources available to educators in her
school and district that were designed to help students who may be grappling with
mental illness was—although marginally useful—inadequate.

Henderson dove into her own research into best practices and interventions.
Eventually, she developed a workshop geared toward educators who were looking
for basic information, tips, and strategies on ways to create a better learning
atmosphere for students who have a mental illness. Henderson conducted the
workshop at professional development conferences sponsored by the Virginia
Education Association.

The workshop only “scratches the surface,” Henderson says, but the educators at
her presentations were always grateful for the information.
Ideally, all school districts in Virginia and across the country should be designing
and implementing effective, school-based, holistic programs so that individual
educators like Henderson don’t have to shoulder the burden of training their
colleagues.

Even though educators can be extremely effective in identifying red flags in

student interactions and behaviors, says Theresa Nguyen, vice president of policy
and programs at Mental Health America, “our teachers are already pushed to the
max.”

“It’s best that they be seen as partners—with parents, the administration, the
community—in helping students with mental health challenges,” Nguyen says.

Although Nguyen and others

see local and state officials beginning to look more closely at more substantive,
evidence-based programs, the U.S. public education system simply isn’t addressing
student mental health in a comprehensive way. The magnitude of the problem
cannot be overstated. At least 10 million students, ages 13–18, need some sort of
professional help with a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, attention-
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder are the most common
mental health diagnoses among children and adolescents. And the overwhelming
majority of those do not have access to any treatment.

The Child Mind Institute reports that half of all mental illness occurs before the
age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24—highlighting the urgent need to create
systemic approaches to the problem.

“One in five students in this country need treatment,” says Dr. David Anderson,
senior director of the Institute’s ADHD and Behavior Disorders Center. “We are
seeing a real movement to properly and systematically tackle this crisis, because
what these students don’t need is a ‘quick fix.’”

MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS: STIGMAS AND CULTURE SHIFTS

The growing crisis around students’ mental health, and the scarcity of available
care, has long been a concern of many educators and health professionals. Interest
among lawmakers, however, is a relatively new trend, sparked primarily by the
spate of mass shootings. There is also a growing awareness of the stress and
anxiety gripping so many teenagers, the role of trauma in their lives, overdue
scrutiny over punitive school discipline policies, and the devastating effects of
poverty.
It’s the proverbial perfect storm, says Kathy Reamy, a school counselor in La
Plata, Md., and chair of NEA’s School Counselor Caucus.

“The public’s natural response is to say we need more mental health services and
programs, and we do,” Reamy adds.

But much of the national conversation has been inherently reactive, focusing on
“crisis response”—to school shootings in particular—rather than a systematic
approach to helping students with their mental health needs.

Crisis management is obviously important, says Anderson, but communities must

also understand the devastating impact untreated mental illness has on learning.

“Improvements include increased on-task learning behavior, better time

management, strengthened goal setting and problem- solving skills, and decreased
rates of absenteeism and suspensions,” the report states.

Despite the obvious return on investment, comprehensive mental health programs

are still only scattered across the country. Many resource-starved districts have cut
—or never had on staff—critical positions, namely school psychologists,
undermining their schools’ ability and capacity to properly address these
challenges.

While districts may look at hiring more school counselors to fill gaps, Kathy
Reamy cautions that their role is often misunderstood. Counselors unquestionably
have unique training to help students deal with the social and emotional issues that
interfere with their academic success. But real improvement to school mental
health programs doesn’t and shouldn’t end with hiring more counselors.

“The services they provide are typically responsive and brief therapy in nature,”
explains Reamy. “The misunderstanding of the role of the counselor often either
prevents students from coming to us at all or they come expecting long-term
therapy, which we simply don’t have the time to provide.”

The stigma around mental health is another obstacle to getting more services in
schools. Even if services exist, stigma can prevent students from seeking help.

We’re seeing progress that hopefully will continue. We can’t wait until a
student is at a crisis state. Like diabetes or cancer, you should never wait until
stage 4 to intervene.” - Theresa Nguyen, Mental Health America
Still, more students are asking for help from their school. “We’re finding that
young people are more eager to talk about these issues, says Nguyen. “They
hunger for this type of support and conversation and are looking to their school to
provide it.”

The fact that schools have become essentially the de facto mental health system for
students may be jarring to many educators, district leaders, and parents. As
important as the task is, many see it as someone else’s job. The change in
perspective is a formidable culture shift for many communities.

“What makes it a little tougher is the need to change how we see students—
specifically, thinking less about a students’ belligerent behavior, for example, and
more about the reasons for that behavior,” says Joe O’Callaghan, the head of
Stamford Public Schools social work department in Connecticut.

But getting there requires training, ongoing professional development, and

resources.

“You have to make sure the whole school knows how to support these kids,”
O’Callaghan says. “Sometimes what happens is a student will feel a lot of support
and encouragement from a social worker. But then they’ll go back into the school
and may not receive the same understanding from the teacher, the principal, the
security guard, whomever. So in a whole-school program, everybody needs to be
relating to and engaging with each other over students who are experiencing
difficult things in their lives.”

“TELL US WHAT YOU NEED”

O’Callaghan helped lead a district-wide effort to overhaul Stamford Public

School’s mental health program after three students from three different high
schools took their own lives in 2014. The shaken community was galvanized to
think about how to improve and support the school mental health programs.

“Just tell us what you need,” a member of the school board asked O’Callaghan
after the deaths.

The district always took student mental health seriously, evidenced by a strong
team of counselors and school psychologists, plus solid relationships with
community agencies.
“We were doing a lot of things right and our team was valued in the community,”
O’Callaghan recalls. “But we had to take a step back and think systemically and
comprehensively about the work we were doing.”

No small undertaking for a 21-school, 16,000-student school district, with high

levels of poverty and a large immigrant population.

The district hired the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut
(CHDI) to audit mental health programs. The resulting 2015 report found strength
in some areas, but indicated overall efforts had focused on crisis management as
opposed to early identification, prevention, and routine care.

This new “continuum of care” is now the central tenant of Stamford’s revitalized
program, along with intensive training of all staff in mental health issues and data
collection, an area that had been sorely deficient.

The district worked with CHDI to deploy Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for
Trauma in Schools (CBITS), a school-based program for students grades 5–12,
who have experienced traumatic events and are suffering from post-traumatic
stress disorder. The district also implemented a counterpart for grades K–5 called
Bounce Back.

By 2017, Stamford Public Schools had expanded the number of evidence-based

services for students from zero to four, implemented district-wide trauma and
behavioral health training and supports for staff, and integrated community and
state resources and services for students.

The goal, explains O’Callaghan, is to create a self-sustaining, in-house program.

“Other districts are outsourcing CBITS to local community agencies who are
sending their own social workers into the school. There’s nothing wrong with that
model, but we’re training our own staff to create our own institutional expertise.”

Doing so provides a layer of protection against budget cuts or grants approaching

expiration.

Even in the face of potential budget tightening, “we’re fortunate to be part of a

community that has a long history of supporting what we do,” he adds.
In Chesterfield, Henderson is encouraged by the strides her district has taken,
namely the introduction of an SEL curriculum in the lower grades, soon hopefully
in the high schools.

“We can always do more, but I think we’re seeing a more proactive, less reactive,
approach.”

That shift is a critical first step forward, says Theresa Nguyen, and is indicative of
many schools and communities beginning to think about mental health early.

“We’re seeing progress that hopefully will continue. We can’t wait until a student
is at a crisis state. Like diabetes or cancer, you should never wait until stage 4 to
intervene.”
Appendix I

Argumentative Essay on Mental Health in Schools

After reading the article on mental health, write a brief informal argumentative essay on mental

health in schools. Write about our school and if you personally think they are prepared to handle

mental health issues. Why or why not? Next, discuss Melinda and how her school could have

handled struggles with mental health better. While this is an informal writing, I still expect

proper grammar and correct use of MLA format, but you may use personal pronouns. This essay

must be a minimum of 500 words.

Rubric:

Points Description Score

3 Completion: The minimum word requirement was met.

3 Content: The essay answers the prompt and is consistent in content.

Reasoning: Thoughtful reasons were given as to why or why not the

3 school is prepared to handle mental health issues and reasons were
given on how Melinda’s school could have done better.
3 Organization: The paper was organized and easy to follow.

Proper Grammar and MLA Format: Proper grammar was used,

3
and the paper followed the MLA guidelines in place.

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